Dodge Ram Truck 1500-2500-3500. Manual - part 560

The inert gas that is produced when the chemicals are burned is harmless. However, a small amount of residue
from the burned chemicals may cause some temporary discomfort if it contacts the skin, eyes, or breathing pas-
sages. If skin or eye irritation is noted, rinse the affected area with plenty of cool, clean water. If breathing passages
are irritated, move to another area where there is plenty of clean, fresh air to breath. If the irritation is not alleviated
by these actions, contact a physician.

REMOVAL

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental
restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, seat belt tensioner, impact
sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative
(ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diag-
nosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the
proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, when removing a deployed airbag, rubber gloves, eye protec-
tion, and a long-sleeved shirt should be worn. There may be deposits on the airbag cushion and other inte-
rior surfaces. In large doses, these deposits may cause irritation to the skin and eyes.

NOTE: The following procedure is for replacement of a faulty or damaged driver airbag. If the airbag is
faulty or damaged, but not deployed, review the recommended procedures for handling non-deployed sup-
plemental restraints. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS - STANDARD PROCEDURE - HANDLING NON-
DEPLOYED

SUPPLEMENTAL

RESTRAINTS).

the

driver

airbag

has

been

deployed,

review

the

recommended procedures for service after a supplemental restraint deployment before removing the airbag
from the vehicle. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS - STANDARD PROCEDURE - SERVICE AFTER A
SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT DEPLOYMENT).

1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.

Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to dis-
charge before further service.

2. From the underside of the steering wheel, remove

the two screws (3) that secure the driver airbag (1)
to the steering wheel armature (2).

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CAUTION: Do not pull on the horn switch feed pig-
tail wire to disengage the connector from the
driver airbag housing or to disconnect the horn
switch to steering wheel wire harness connection.
Improper pulling on this pigtail wire or connection
can result in damage to the horn switch mem-
brane or feed circuit.

3. Pull the driver airbag (1) away from the steering

wheel far enough to access the three electrical
connections on the back of the airbag housing.

4. Disconnect the steering wheel wire harness con-

nector for the horn switch (2) from the horn switch
feed pigtail wire connector (4), which is located on
the back of the driver airbag housing.

CAUTION: Do not pull on the clockspring pigtail
wires or pry on the connector insulator to disen-
gage the connector from the driver airbag inflator
connector receptacle. Improper removal of these
pigtail wires and their connector insulators can
result in damage to the airbag circuits or connec-
tor insulators.

5. The clockspring driver airbag pigtail wire connectors (3) are secured by integral latches to the airbag inflator

connector receptacles, which are located on the back of the driver airbag housing. Depress the latches on each
side of the connector insulator and pull the insulators straight out from the airbag inflator to disconnect them from
the connector receptacles.

6. Remove the driver airbag from the steering wheel.

7. If the driver airbag has been deployed, the clockspring must be replaced. (Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RE-

STRAINTS/CLOCKSPRING - REMOVAL).

DISASSEMBLY

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, service of this unit should be performed only by Daimler-
Chrysler-trained and authorized dealer service technicians. Failure to take the proper precautions or to fol-
low the proper procedures could result in accidental, incomplete, or improper airbag deployment and
possible occupant injuries.

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, use extreme care to prevent any foreign material from enter-
ing the driver airbag, or becoming entrapped between the driver airbag cushion and the driver airbag trim
cover. Failure to observe this warning could result in occupant injuries upon airbag deployment.

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, the driver airbag trim cover must never be painted. Replace-
ment trim covers are serviced in the original colors. Paint may change the way in which the material of the
trim cover responds to an airbag deployment. Failure to observe this warning could result in occupant inju-
ries upon airbag deployment.

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RESTRAINTS - SERVICE INFORMATION

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NOTE: The following procedures can be used to replace the driver airbag trim cover and horn switch unit
for service. If the driver airbag is faulty or deployed, the entire driver airbag, trim cover and horn switch
must be replaced as a unit.

1. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.

Wait two minutes for the system capacitor to dis-
charge before further service.

2. Remove the driver airbag from the steering wheel

(Refer to 8 - ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/DRIVER
AIRBAG - REMOVAL).

3. Place the driver airbag on a suitable clean and dry

work surface with the trim cover facing down. If the
trim cover will be reused, be certain to take the
proper precautions to prevent the trim cover from
receiving cosmetic damage during the following
procedures.

4. Carefully pry the horn switch feed pigtail wire con-

nector (1) away from the back of the driver airbag
housing (3) far enough to disengage the integral
connector retainer from the locator hole just above
the upper right inflator mounting stud.

5. Remove the nut that secures the horn switch

ground pigtail wire eyelet terminal (2) to the upper right inflator stud on the back of the driver airbag housing.

6. Remove the horn switch ground pigtail wire eyelet terminal from the upper right inflator stud on the back of the

driver airbag housing.

7. Disengage each of the twelve hooks (5 and 6) of the airbag housing from the twelve windows in the vertical walls

of the trim cover (4), one wall at a time. Start by disengaging the upper wall, then do each of the two side walls,
and finish with the lower wall. To disengage the hooks, use hand pressure to push the adjacent edge of the
airbag housing firmly and evenly downward into the trim cover receptacle, while at the same time pushing out-
ward on the upper edge of the receptacle wall.

8. With all of the hooks disengaged, lift the housing, inflator, and cushion as a unit from the receptacle on the back

of the driver airbag trim cover.

ASSEMBLY

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1. Place the driver airbag on a suitable work surface

with the airbag cushion facing up.

2. Fold the two flaps (1) of cushion material up

around the sides and over the top of the airbag
cushion retainer strap (2).

3. Position the new driver airbag trim cover over the

airbag cushion, then push the receptacle of the trim
cover down evenly over the cushion. Be certain
that the cushion material flaps remain oriented over
the cushion retainer strap as they were in Step 2.

4. Turn the driver airbag and the new driver airbag

trim cover over as a unit, and place the unit on a
suitable clean and dry work surface with the airbag
cushion facing down. Be certain to take the proper
precautions to prevent the trim cover from receiving
cosmetic damage during the following procedures.

5. Be certain that the horn switch feed and ground

pigtail wires are routed through the clearance notch
at the top of the airbag housing (3), between the
housing and the upper vertical wall of the trim
cover receptacle.

6. Work around the perimeter of the unit engaging

each of the twelve hooks (5 and 6) on the driver
airbag housing through the windows in the walls of
the trim cover receptacle.

7. Install the horn switch ground pigtail wire eyelet ter-

minal (2) over the upper right inflator stud on the
back of the driver airbag housing.

8. Install and tighten the nut that secures the horn

switch ground pigtail wire eyelet terminal to the
upper right inflator stud on the back of the driver
airbag housing. Tighten the nut to 7 N·m (65 in.
lbs.).

9. Using hand pressure, push the integral retainer of

the horn switch feed pigtail wire connector (1) into
the locator hole just above the upper right inflator mounting stud on the back of the airbag housing.

10. After the driver airbag has been assembled, try pulling the trim cover and the airbag housing away from each

other. This action will fully seat the edges of the windows into the cradles of the hooks.

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RESTRAINTS - SERVICE INFORMATION

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